Imphal, June 25: The Samata party leader and former Defence Minister George Fernandes assured a delegation of State MLAs and MPs that the will pursue at all levels the core issue of the withdrawal of the extension of the cease-fire with the NSCN(IM) into the territory of Manipur.

The assurance was given when the MLAs and MPs met the Samata Party leader at Delhi this afternoon.

�I have reiterated to them my party�s stand which was spelt out on August 21, 1997 and again on June 13 that we stand for the territorial integrity of Manipur,� Fernandes said in a statement after the meeting which discussed the prevailing situation in Manipur.

Fernandes said, �I have also assured them that I will pursue at all level the core issue of the withdrawal of the extension of the cease-fire with the NSCN (IM) into the territory of Manipur.� The former Defence Minister appealed to the people of Manipur and especially to the students, youth women and other NGOs to observe total restraint in the prevailing situation in the State and do nothing that can create a wedge between the different communities who make up the people of Manipur.

�The people of Manipur have a glorious past that goes back 2000 years.

We have to build on that in the coming years and come together to create a life of peace and prosperity for all Manipuris,� he said.

�In order to achieve this we should shun violence of any kind, no matter what the provocation�, he added.

The recent violence and protests in Manipur and other North-Eastern State was fallout of the Centre�s �initial mistake� in agreeing to geographical limits for the cease-fire with NSCN (IM), Assam governor Lt Gen (Retd) SK Sinha said, PTI adds from Delhi.

He also said that influx of people from across the border (Bangladesh) was primarily responsible for insurgency �at least in Tripura and Assam.� �It was mistake on the part of the Government of have agreed to geographical limits by confining the ceasefire initially to Nagaland only,� Sinha said at a seminar on �Addressing conflicts in India�s Northeast� organized by the Institute for Conflict Management.

Stating that a cease-fire meant cessation of hostilities across the board, Sinha said, �cease- fire without geographical boundaries is not the same thing as it�s being extended to Naga inhabited areas.

Unfortunately, it was not projected in this light.� Terming the Naga outfit�s demand for cease-fire expansion as �brinkmanship more than anything else�.

He said, the NSCN (IM) agreed to the cease-fire as it was �in a weak situation.� �There is lack of popular support for militancy as people in Nagaland want peace.

Moreover, all is not well within the Naga outfit itself.

NSCN (IM) president Isak Swu is a Sema, while general secretary Muivah is Tangkhul Naga.

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